Hey hey guys, it’s that time of the month again: time for me to give you the rundown on some cool games that you may have missed this past month. We got a bit of lighter month this time around, only five games, but some of which may have flown under your radar. As usual, thanks to the publishers who sent these games to me in order to make this list possible and now that that’s said, let’s get right into the games.
Prodeus
Like DOOM? Well, you’ll probably like Prodeus. It’s a fast-paced first-person shooter done in the same style as the classic DOOM games – but this time with modern rendering techniques. The gameplay is fast, chaotic, and incredibly bloody, but that’s just what makes these kinds of shooters fun. You’ll find yourself dashing around, spraying down demons with a minigun, and quick swapping to a shotgun to finish them off.
It’s some incredibly satisfying fast-paced gameplay and for an Early Access game, it’s quite impressive what they’ve got here. The weapons, enemies, levels, and core gameplay are all very nicely polished and – according to the Steam page – there’s only more to come. Regardless, it’s a blast to play in its current state and an easy recommendation for fans of fast-paced shooters. Prodeus is currently in Early Access on Steam and GOG with a full release planned 8-12 months from now along with a release on PS4, Xbox One, and Switch.
Jiangshi x Daoshi
So this is not only one of the most VISUAL visual novels I have played, but also one of the more unique ones. It’s an indie VN with a lot going on. I mean, there’s Daoist priests, Chinese vampires, fox demons, immortals, assassins, and a surprising amount of blood and gore in spite of the game’s seemingly carefree look. The story is constantly jumping around like this, never staying on one topic or in one area for too long. This makes it a bit chaotic for sure, but honestly it kinda reminded of how Studio Trigger tells their stories. In fact, it’s very similar to what we saw earlier this year with the VN Marco & the Galaxy Dragon.
This chaotic method of storytelling also extends into the visuals, which are somewhere between what you would get from a Studio Trigger anime and a Shaft anime – most notably the Monogatari series. There can be a lot going on, only for the game to throw up some very stylized still image for a few frames before reverting back to normal. In fact, there’s so much visually to this game that you can kinda get the story even without reading the text – it really gives the story some life. The game is definitely not for everyone – even those within the VN community – but it’s nice to have a VN try something new like this. The first two episodes are available for free on Steam and the third, paid one just launched this last month (hence why its in this video), so if any of what I described sounds interesting, do check it out.
UPPERS
Okay so technically this came out towards the end of October, but close enough! The game is called UPPERS and it comes from the same guys that do the Senran Kagura games. Although not technically a hack and slash like those games, the gameplay is very similar in that it is a 3D brawler with an emphasis on combos, comedic storytelling with a touch of drama, and an obsession with underwear. When you’re not duking it out on the streets with other thugs, you’re picking up girls, swapping clothing around, and really just engaging in the usual ecchi stuff that comes from these devs.
That’s all there for those that want it, but the core gameplay itself is also pretty solid. I won’t go out and say that it’s the most polished or in-depth brawler, but its at least up to par with what we get from the Senran Kagura games. There’s a good deal of button mashing, mixups into combos, special attacks, and other mechanics that make the combat a bit more engaging than the usual 2-button combat often used in this genre. Whatever the case, if you’re a fan of Senran Kagura, it might be worth checking out. The PS4 version of the game was actually canceled, so you can currently only find UPPERS on Steam.
The Last Show of Mr. Chardish
As a sucker for these shorter, narrative-driven games, The Last Show of Mr. Chardish was right up my alley. You play as Ella, an actress returning to an abandoned theater after decades. The game plays in first-person, but during this trip, you will uncover various objects and such that throw you into third-person “mini-stories” of sorts – all modeled after plays that were shown in the theater. These segments have varying gameplay and stories, with one being a simple platformer with flight elements and another being a puzzle game with a cool symmetry mechanic.
The stories told during these are of varying quality, but I quite enjoyed the variety offered by them – the story of the two robots escaping their factory was my personal favorite. All of this lends to a larger overall story that is pieced together through these mini-stories and objects left in the theater (letters, documents, etc.). It’s a more emotional story for sure, but it’s a satisfying one – worth a look for fans of narrative-driven games. The Last Show of Mr. Chardish is currently only available on Steam.
Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead
Can’t say this was a crossover I ever expected to see, but I’m not complaining – I’ll take any excuse to get more Bridge Constructor games. This one basically takes the tried and true Bridge Constructor formula and applies a Walking Dead skin over it while also introducing a bunch of new mechanics to make it more than just a reskin (kinda like what they did with Bridge Constructor Portal). For example, while the core gameplay is simply to get your vehicles and survivors to the end zone by constructing bridges, you’re now able to assign commands to each individual unit at specified points on the map.
These commands can consist of simple movements, interacting with objects on the map, firing a crossbow, or even chucking a grenade. There are usually going to be a bunch of zombies in-between your survivors and the objective, so you not only have to construct a bridge with this in mind, but in such a way that your survivors can take out the zombies before getting overwhelmed. It’s a nice twist on the usual Bridge Constructor gameplay and I’d recommend it to fans of the series – even if you may not be a fan of The Walking Dead. Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead is currently available on Steam, GOG, Android, iOS, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X with a PS5 version planned for release as well.
And that’ll bring this month’s list to a close. Again, a bit on the lighter side, but some solid games regardless. We got a new Bridge Constructor, a cool DOOM-like game, and even a neat indie VN (I can’t even remember the last time I featured a VN in one of these). Thanks for reading and do be on the lookout for next month!
cublikefoot 